CD Reviews

One of Jerry's Best

11/17/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"One of Bergonzi's best. This is the second organ trio album Jerry did with Dan Wall on organ and Adam Nussbaum on drums for the Double Time label, and this one really showcases Jerry's great compositions and breathtaking solos. Every tune is strong, from the bossa "Different Places Together" to the 7/4 "Wind Print" to "Have You Met Miss Jones," which is reharmonized brilliantly. He is influenced by past masters like Coltrane and Rollins, but definitely builds on them in his own unique way. Every solo builds to a climax in a logical and natural way. On "Invisible Light," Jerry shows that he can be a great ballad player as well.
The contributions of Wall and especially Nussbaum are great. With Nussbaum, Bergonzi has found a perfect partner who swings hard and has a huge, raw sound that compliments whatever Jerry is doing and pushes him to new heights. Dan Wall seems to have a strong harmonic understanding of the compositions and plays some fine solos that are reminiscent of both Jimmy Smith and Larry Young.
Fans of Joe Lovano will hear this album and realize that Bergonzi, who is not as well known, is in many ways his equal who deserves to be heard more than he is now. Bergonzi has a cult following in Boston, where he teaches at the New England Conservatory, but does not play very often in New York. In 1990, he recorded a fine album for Blue Note called Standard Gonz, but it is long out of print. There are several other very strong albums by Bergonzi, but I highly recommend Lost in the Shuffle, for it is one of the best recorded examples of this great artist's abilities."